


Today We're Lovers

by Alina0



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adopted Children, Big Sister Aranea Highwind, Crushes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everybody Lives, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Dynamics, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Parent Cor Leonis, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alina0/pseuds/Alina0
Summary: The whole game was supposed to be an one-day thing; them visiting his family and convincing them that he actually has a boyfriend, which he totally hasn't.But Prompto soon finds himself being the center of attention and getting stuck, and the hashtag:#CommonerDatingCrownAdvisor is suddenly trending everywhere.The thing is, Prompto's not dating anyone, really. Little does he know that being caught by the press would be the beginning of something none of them had imagined, nor expected.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 13
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Raechu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raechu/gifts).



> Ahhh, this is a gift for my dear friend, Rae! Although you liked some hurt/comfort, I just extended the AU and went for something bigger😉  
> Nevertheless, this will still contain hurt and comfort, but I had to give you something more special than that. I hope you like this, as there is no way this is canon and I changed many things <3  
> Please read the tags, everyone, and be aware that there is a shit-ton of differences in this one.  
> Prom and Aranea are both adopted. I love this and I live for this and I hope you enjoy💙

Prompto Argentum sits on the edge of the sofa, his head held immovably between his sweaty hands as he rocks back and forth.

It has been the first time he fails this shamelessly. However, this time is quite different from before. Ignis Scientia, the only advisor to the crown, who is considered one of the best and strongest members of the Crownsguard, had been there to observe his training and progress thus far. If only Prompto knew better.

Ignis is an immaculate and flawless man, never once breaking any laws or having fallacious opinions. When he is around, Prompto is one of the many people who lose the ability to do -- practically anything. And Prompto, the overthinker and clumsy boy he is, messed up in front of that man despite preparing for this day for months.

The possible reason for Prompto and his discomposure is presumably the crush he’s been developing on Ignis recently. He doesn’t want to jumble or mess everything up when he’s adjacent to Ignis, but it just happens. Out of nowhere, his body begins to act the exact opposite way he wants, and his heart starts to pound crazily. 

“Prom, you need something? You gotta stop overthinking,” the voice of his friend -- Noctis -- hauls him back to real life, causing him to rise to his feet with distress.

Prompto grunts. He rakes his fingers through his ruined hair and tries to fix it. “I’m not overthinking,” he mumbles. His voice doesn’t come out any higher than that.

“Yeah, you are,” Noctis insists. “Is it because specs were there? You know he’s not going to make fun of you, right? Nobody’s been a professional fighter since birth.”

Then, Prompto just explodes. He can’t help but snap:

“Dude, you don’t get it! He’s Ignis Scientia! I’m, well, I’m just me. I’ve been getting my hopes up and wishing I could do something to impress him, and instead – I screwed up.” There’s a pause as he realizes there’s no reason to show this unwarranted behavior to the Prince. Prompto sucks in a deep breath and says with a lower tone, “Why can’t I not mess something up for once? I was preparing for this day so hard. I had everything under control.”

“Prom, you seriously need to stop thinking about that. You did great. At least you were better than me. And if it makes you feel better, Gladio tripped over and fell his ass off in front of my Dad. I won’t forget that day—It was when he’d just started his training.”

“Woah! That really happened? You’re not kidding?!”

“Nope. That really happened. I’d never seen Gladio that red before. It was hilarious.”

Well, that certainly makes him feel a lot better. Noctis’s Shield is one of the strongest fighters he’s ever seen. Acknowledging that he has also made such disconcerting mistakes in the past is a relief to Prompto.

A sense of ease washing through him, he resumes, “Oh. Em. Gee. I wish I were there! I bet he was so embarrassed! Awww. I kinda feel bad for him now.”

“Uh-huh.” Noctis inclines his head with agreement. “The thing is, Prom, it’s totally a normal thing. Actually, if you hadn’t fallen or messed up, I would’ve thought that you’re gifted with superhero abilities or something.”

“Thanks, buddy. That helped,” Prompto says, stepping back to settle on the couch next to his friend. An overwhelming silence takes over. The only sound they can hear is the movie’s character rambling on about things before Prompto commences, “So you think Iggy doesn’t hate me?”

“Hate you? Dude, hatred is the last feeling he would have toward you. Sometimes I think he cares about you more than me.”

“Don’t say that! You’re his friend. He cares ‘bout us all the same.”

Noctis shoots him a look, opening and closing his mouth a couple of times. “Hmm, if you say so,” he finally responds, settling his gaze of the clock behind Prompto. “Didn’t you want to leave at seven? I thought you’d promised your Dad.”

Prompto’s eyes widen. He jerks his head toward the clock, and a curse slips from his lips. “Oh shit. Oh no. I’m late!” Bolting upright onto his feet, he rushes to the opposite side to grab his jacket. Right as he’s about to head to the front door, he turns and waves at Noctis. “My Dad is gonna question me again! I gotta go, Noct. See you later!”

Noct offers him a wry smile. “See ya.” He lazily waves at him.

The ride from Noctis’s apartment to his own merely takes him ten minutes. Prompto’s taking a taxi because he still doesn’t own a car, and he’s too sluggish to indulge in other solutions. Besides, he’s been already too late due to promising to his Dad that he would return soon.

Prompto’s Dad is overprotective of him, so he understands why he always wants him to return early. Back then, when Prompto was a child, his father couldn’t even leave him alone in the car for a short five minutes because he didn’t want to ‘lose’ him. That’s fair. Insomnia’s an enormous city with different types of people, and at that time, his adoptive Dad would hear much news regarding massive crimes back then. It has lessened now. He says that it was the same when he adopted Prompto’s sister.

He stops by their apartment door, sniffing in the pleasant and satisfying smell of the familiar cuisine. It makes his heart melt, knowing that despite all the things Prompto has done, his Dad’s still giving him all the affection and care.

Pulling the key from his pocket, he unlocks the door and lets the food’s overwhelming and savory smell meet his nose. He shuts the door behind him and puts his jacket over the rack.

“Hey dad, hey ‘Nea, I’m home!” He announces. Entering the living room, Prompto’s met by the scene of his sister -- Aranea -- lying on the couch, watching television. 

She slips him a glance and props herself up on her elbows to greet him.

Instead, he hears Cor chuckle behind him, followed by a sigh as he starts, “Hey, kiddo. Where have you been? We were starting to get worried about you.”

Prompto turns his head toward his Dad. “Sorry about that! The training took longer than I’d expected, and I hung out with Noct after that! I got you a chocolate dessert for an apology, though,” he explains with a grin dancing on his lips.

Admittedly, he bought the dessert before he even hung out with Noctis, though his purchase intention is still the same. Prompto knows that his family is keen on sweets, especially Aranea. She doesn’t admit it, Prompto supposes it’s because she seemingly believes it makes her ‘weak,’ but she kills for chocolate.

“And that’s your way of buttering us up,” Aranea teases, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Welcome home, kid.”

“Thanks, ‘Nea!” Prompto says. He hurries to his bedroom and gets changed into more comfortable clothes. 

“So, how was your day? Did the training go well? What did others think?” Cor asks as he exits the bedroom and joins Aranea on the couch.

He shrugs. “Mhm. It went pretty well. I messed up one part, but Iggy told me I’m doing way better than they’d done back then!”

Cor laughs. “Ignis Scientia? Wow, that’s one hell of a compliment, kiddo.”

“Dad,” Prompto groans, rolling his eyes with a gesture of disapproval, throwing himself back. “You gotta have faith in me sometimes. Give your son a bit more credit!”

“I do have faith in you. I’m just kidding. I know that kid since he was in diapers. His uncle used to visit the Citadel, and he didn’t trust anyone to take care of him.”

Ignis in diapers is an image he didn’t know he needs. When Prompto imagines it, all he can see is a little ray of sunshine all dressed in a suit that’s too formal for someone his age, his adorable, round, and big glasses askew on his nose.

Yet, Prompto likes the older Ignis better. He’s perfect, spruce, and always wearing button-ups that’ll make him look impressively more handsome. So, he decides he doesn’t want Cor to give him information about the times Ignis Scientia was in diapers.

“Can we not talk about Ignis Scientia in diapers? I feel like I’m doing him dirty, and I'm not enjoying our conversation.” He winces.

“You speak highly of him,” Aranea says with a smirk. “He always speaks highly of that boy. If I didn’t know him, I would’ve thought that he’s the Prince instead of that black-haired kid.”

Prompto laughs. “You guys are too comfortable talking about royalty.”

“Can’t say I’m not when I know His Rebellious Majesty since he was a teenager,” Cor answers, expression deadpan as he heaves a sigh as if he has a lot of untold memories.

“Alright, now I wanna know what he did as a teenager!” Prompto claps his hands, but then panic sets in, and he suddenly doesn’t want to know anything scandalous about the King of Lucis. “Nope. I take that back. I don’t wanna know what His Majesty had done back then.”

Cor disappears around the corner again as he rolls his eyes. He steps inside the kitchen and resumes his cooking, and Prompto scrolls down Kwehtter in boredom until he finds an image—A detailed image of the advisor with 500k likes and loads of rekwehs.

Prompto whistles. He holds up the phone and shows the mouth-watering picture to Aranea.

“Look at the image I found. Woah, he’s the only definition of perfection,” Prompto coons.

Aranea’s gaze switched between him and the phone. She tosses a brow up and snickers. “Can you ever stop talking about him, kiddo?” she asks, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. “You need to get yourself a girlfriend or somethin’. Do you want me to find someone for you? I can get ya one under a minute.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m pretty serious.”

“I don’t want a girlfriend!”

“Boyfriend? That makes sense. You never shut up talking about that advisor boy.”

“Hey! I’m only talking about him ‘cause he’s pretty!” he nearly yells, praying to the gods that Cor doesn’t hear that. He jerks his head toward the kitchen, breathing a sigh of comfort. His Dad’s too busy scrutinizing the food; he probably doesn’t give a single care about their conversation. “I always talk about pretty people. And also, he’s not just some ‘advisor boy.’ He’s Ignis Scientia!”

“You’re hopeless, and you should find somebody to love before you hurt yourself for the people you can’t have,” she states.

How many other conversations they had before about the same subject? Gods, Prompto’s tired. He doesn’t think about anyone, and the thoughts of being involved with someone sure is terrifying. The only person that he currently likes is Ignis. That man is too awesome to even think about being in a relationship with Prompto.

Prompto doesn’t let himself think twice. He earns the courage and sits up, only to stupidly blurt a particular sentence that he’ll regret later:

“Dude, I already have someone!” Prompto whisper-shouts. No second thoughts. He goes for it. “I have a boyfriend! Now can you stop thinking about setting me up with other people?”

“What?” Aranea’s lips part with incredulity. Her grip tightens on the throw pillow that she’s holding. “How come I’ve never heard anything about him?”

“You already know Dad’s sensitive about this stuff! He won’t let me see another day if he finds out I’m dating someone he doesn’t even know!”

“When I’m gonna see that boy?” asks Aranea instead. 

He scoffs. “Soon,” he lies dismissively.

Aranea doesn’t seem satisfied with his answer. Why should she? “Give me an estimated time,” she insists. Prompto glances at her. There’s a hint of a teasing smirk on her lips, and she’s impatiently waiting for a proper reply.

“Okaaay. I’ll call him tomorrow and ask if he’s free to meet you by the weekend. How does that sound?”

“Much better. I’ll prepare to kick some asses, then. He better be good for you, or he’s not gonna leave this place functional.”

“Dude! You can’t scare away my very first boyfriend in the whole eternity!”

“I said it. He better treat you good.”

“I’m sure he will!” Prompto reassures, his voice falsely cheerful, but he’s shrieking inside.

It’s only a day later when the problems begin for him. Aranea’s undoubtedly waiting for him to call his’ boyfriend,’ and Prompto still doesn’t have one. Nor will he be able to find a suitable partner in a day, so he’s in huge trouble. He attempts to ignore her, or perhaps say that they have broken up, but neither seems like a good option. She would ask for the reason for their break-up and insist on having the boyfriend’s information for some ass-kicking. 

Prompto comes up with other solutions, but they are all foolish. The best one he thinks of is a little bit less idiotic, hiring a person to be his ‘pretend’ boyfriend for a few days. He indisputably doesn’t have enough cash to do that, and he only has a few people who would be willing to do that for him.

Noctis is a big no-no. That guy’s his friend. Most importantly, he’s the Crown Prince of Lucis. Gladio… again, there is no way in the world that is going to happen. Plus, the Shield’s a bit too much of a hardass to agree. The last remaining option is Ignis and Prompto’s certainty not complaining. The things he wouldn’t do to be in a real relationship with the advisor, though...

His incessant drumming heart leaves him with no other option but to shoot his shot.

Prompto calls Ignis in the middle of the afternoon. It doesn’t take him long to answer the call.

 _“Hello, Prompto. How can I help you? Is there any problem?”_ comes Ignis’s ritzy and posh accent that never fails to leave Prompto all flustered.

He gulps. _Of course there’s a problem. I never dare to call you otherwise._ “No, I mean... yeah. A big one, kinda. Can we meet somewhere to talk and stuff?”

_“Of course. Do you want to meet at the coffee shop we stopped by a week ago?”_

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Prompto looks down, sensing an unsolicited feeling of discomfort and anxiety settling in the pit of his stomach. “Hey, last question. You won’t hate me no matter what happens, right? You won’t get mad at me.”

There’s a pause, and he notices Ignis’s deep breath through the phone. _“Absolutely not. I will never dislike you. Is everything quite alright?”_ His voice is soft and tender, filled with something that if Prompto didn’t know Ignis, he would’ve thought that it’s fondness.

“Uh-huh! I was just wondering! See you in an hour, Iggy!”

_“See you soon, Prom.”_

Prompto can’t ever get over the feeling of being called ‘Prom’ by Ignis. His heart melts, and an uncontrollable smile dances on his lips as he hangs up. 

He takes a quick shower and hurriedly chooses proper clothes. The decision is difficult, especially when he’s meeting someone like Ignis, who always dresses up as if he has a dinner night with royalty (which is pretty normal. He’s periodically spending time with the royal family, after all).

Prompto leaves the apartment in simple jeans and a hoodie that he picks whenever he’s lazy or can’t think of other clothes. When he arrives five minutes late, Ignis is unsurprisingly standing in front of the shop, waiting for Prompto’s arrival.

Running to the advisor, he announces his presence with a, “Hey! You’re here! How’re you doing? Sorry for sounding like that. I probably gave you a worry.”

Ignis turns with a gentle smile across his face so that they’re facing each other. “No, no. I’m glad that we met today. Let’s go inside, shall we?” Prompto nods. They enter the coffee shop and sit at an empty table.

“Thank you for asking, Prompto. I’m doing fine today, how about you?”

He hooks her feet around the chair legs -- a habit of his, as well as swinging his legs with a gesture of nervousness. With his good sense of reading people’s body language, it seems like Ignis is quite distressed as well. Perhaps because Prompto’s been acting weird. 

“Pretty good – and nervous. Haha. I didn’t disturb you or anything, right?” Prompto replies, an edge of excitability apparent in his tone.

“No, I am quite free today. I’m glad that you called me because I was going for a walk, and having a company sounds excellent.”

Prompto grins. If everything goes well, he’ll owe Ignis a walk sometime after this. Emphasis on if, so he shoots back, “We can go for a walk after this! It won’t take long, promise!”

“That would be fantastic, if you like. Thank you very much for suggesting.”

The barista approaches them. They announce that they’re still not ready to order anything, and she leaves with a nod.

Clearing his throat, he drums his fingers on the table to catch Ignis’s attention. Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything to prevent Prompto from changing the subject. This may be his only chance now. He starts with a shape inhale:

“So, uh, I’m going to make it short. Why is this so freakin’ hard? Okay! I’ve talked to you about my sister before. She’s really stubborn and once she says she wanna do something, never have a second thought! She’ll do it, and no one can stop her. Yesterday... yesterday, when I returned from the Citadel, she questioned me and stuff. I told her a tiny lie. Just a tiny bit, but I swear my intentions were something else!

“Basically... oh gods. Basically, I showed one of your photos to her because dude, you looked perfect there, and she was like, ‘Why do you always show me images of gorgeous people? You gotta get a girlfriend for yourself before you die lonely!’ And me, the stupid boy I am... this is so embarrassing. I told her I have a boyfriend because I wanted her to stop trying to set me up with others! And now I’m stuck because I don’t have a boyfriend, and I need one ASAP!” 

When Prompto’s finished, he realizes that his chest is rising and falling with rapid breaths. Ignis slips him a curious look as he parts his mouth, and breath seems to catch in his throat. 

Ignis recovers fast and chokes out, “Oh dear, that’s unfortunate. Is there anything I can help you with? I will do everything I am able to – cross my heart.”

Is there anything Ignis can do? Except for one thing that he most likely won’t?

“I mean, what can you really do? Find me a fake boyfriend? Ha.” He takes Ignis’s shift in expression as his cue to continue. “I mean... there’s actually something you can do but – this is so embarrassing. I’m gonna regret this so hard. Ohhh boy, okay. Will you be my fake boyfriend for a day, Iggy?”

It’s like the world around him falls in silence. Prompto finally said it. The heavy and unbearable weight in his chest is no longer there, and he lets out the sharpest breath when he’s done.

The couple seconds that Ignis needs to find a proper response feels like years to him.

“Your boyfriend?” Ignis eventually mumbles under his breath as if he’s testing how that word sounds coming from his mouth.

Prompto corrects, “ _Fake!_ Just for a day! It’s gonna be Aranea and us! We’ll go there and sit and talk, and you don’t even have to say anything but agree to whatever I say. Please, Iggy, I need this. You’re like my closest friend – I mean Noct is too, but he’s the Prince and... and you’re different. I want you.”

The choice of words is terrible. Prompto’s going to regret this.

“Oh.” Ignis ducks his head, adjusting the lapels of his jacket, expression unreadable. “Will she be, erm, reliable and keep our secret?”

 _And that’s the question he asks of all the possible ones he can,_ Prompto thinks. _Phew, that’s a relief._

Prompto nods. His hands are still quivering with terror and all sweaty. “Yeah! Dude, she’s so trustworthy! I promise she won’t say a word to anyone.”

“All right.”

That’s… rather quick. It leaves Prompto’s eyes and mouth widening at the same time. Just the thoughts have made him insane, let alone actually playing the advisor’s boyfriend’s role. Oh god. Jeez.

“Huh?” he blurts.

“I accept to pretend to be your partner for a short while. What could go wrong if it is kept a secret? And I’m willing to help you with anything. I’m very glad that you could put your trust in me, Prompto.”

A bark of laughter slips from Prompto’s mouth. He resists the overwhelming urge to reach for Ignis’s hands to hold them tightly. He wants to kiss him right on the spot, but he remembers that Iggy’s already doing too much for him. He’s grateful for it, so he answers, “Oh my gods, Iggy! You’re a lifesaver! I think I owe you my life now!”

“Of course not. I will do this for you. As long as it makes you happy and satisfied, I’m willing to help,” replies Ignis with a chuckle as he looks up, clearing his throat. “When should I be ready for the meeting?”

“On the weekend, so in four days? I’ll let you know the place and time once I talk with her!” A pause -- Ignis nods eagerly, and there’s no sign of exasperation or hostility in his expression. That’s a good sign. “I can’t thank ya enough. You saved me. I owe you everything, man. Thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

They both forget the walk they’re supposed to go on after their meeting in the coffee shop. Prompto just remembers it when Ignis drops him by his apartment. The lights have already gone due to dusk, so they decide it’s best to return to their homes and walk later.

Prompto spends the whole evening daydreaming, for sure. He imagines that Iggy's real boyfriend and not just there to pretend. The thoughts are fantastic and heavenly, let alone the real experience. He just loves thar ‛advisor boy’ a bit too much, doesn’t he? It’s crazy how he would die to have Ignis even as his fake partner for a day.

He drifts off with that fantasy. They say the very last person on your mind before you close your eyes at night is either a reason for your happiness or pain. Prompto chooses the first option -- Ignis has never given him anything but joy and laughs. 

Prompto’s dreams are complicated. He often decides not to talk about them a lot. When he’s waking up, though, it isn’t because of the noisy neighbors next door or Aranea turning the vacuum cleaner on. A deafening sound of something ringing next to his ears leaves him wide awake and yelping. 

Stirring up and stretching out, he reaches for his phone and checks the time. It’s nine am. Somehow, Noctis The Prince is calling him this early in the morning. Prompto panics by the strange out-of-character behavior of his friend. 

He’s never been this fast to answer a call except for Ignis. He always answers Ignis’s calls at lightning speed.

“Noct?” he crooks out, voice raspy, barely coming out.

“Dude,” Noctis says. He groans, and it’s not helping Prompto calm down. “What have you two done?”

Prompto’s wide awake now. What has he and ‘the other person’ done? Has he accidentally posted a nude image of himself on Kwehtter without knowing? Has he said something horrible to Ignis?

He gulps and squeaks, “Huh? What do you mean?” 

“You gotta be kidding me. Check the news, your phone, TV, anywhere! It’s like the only thing people are talking about this morning!”

Prompto’s trying to bite back a scream. His heart is thudding hard in his chest that he can hear all the beats in his ears -- one after another. It’s like fear has twisted his gut, and his blood has run cold. 

He almost wants to throw up.

He taps on the tap, pulls the notifications down. The essential news is always there in the morning, and suddenly Prompto feels very sick as he reads the headline with a text:

**_Royal Advisor Dating a Commoner? More Common Than You Think!_ **

_Prompto Leonis, a commoner boy, seen together with lord Ignis Scientia, the advisor to The Crown. Are they in a relationship? Learn more here!_

“Holy shit.” The realization hits Prompto like a train, and he suddenly feels dizzy. He’s gasping for air, although he has plenty of it, and his mouth is suddenly so dry, staring at the headline as if he hasn’t read it correctly. “Holy fuck. Noct – I... I swear this isn’t what you think. This is a mistake. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Noctis groans. “What do you mean, ‘it’s a mistake?’ They caught you two! I think you’re now a trending hashtag everywhere, Prom.”

“No... no. I gotta fix this. This is wrong. This is a mistake. I gotta go, Noct,” he whispers, hanging up before he can let Noctis speak. Tossing his phone to the other side, Prompto tries to calm his shaking body. Nothing works. He gives up, and he’s eyes are watering with guilt and fear. “I fucked up. Iggy’s gonna hate me now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignis, man, how can you act this dumb. You were their only hope XD
> 
> I'm new at this Kwehtter thing. Are retweets really called rekwehs? This sounds ridiculous. Is there any essential differences? Forgive me if I'm wrong, lol. 
> 
> Any kind of support would be appreciated!❤


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the 2nd chapter, I hope you all enjoy <3  
> And I hope you like this, Rae, as it is exclusively written for you!

Prompto makes an effort not to be caught by the paparazzi again. The world’s waiting for more answers, some juicy news to become satisfied. After screwing up their meeting and giving off the wrong impression to people, they can’t risk it again. 

The thing is, Prompto has never been this petrified of something very regular. He should’ve known better, of course. Little did he know that merely sitting with your friend (who happens to be your crush, but that’s not the case here) would invite the citizens to engage in their unlawful behaviors. 

And this morning, Prompto soon finds himself in the center of attention. Immediately after he finishes his call with Noctis, he swiftly dresses up in something to hide his identity. Heading out, he inhales the fresh air, pulls the hood up over his head. He sees many fangirls whispering gossips to their friends as he passes by to approach Ignis.

Ignis is probably going to kick him out of the Citadel or even from the  _ Crownsgaurd _ . He’s going to shout at Prompto and accuse him of getting him in huge trouble, and Prompto can’t even complain. What he’s done is not acceptable, nor forgivable. That news has already changed the world, making all people wishing to know more about a relationship that does not exist.

What will happen now? How will they be able to convince the press and citizens that nothing is going on between them? Supposing they believe, Gladio and others would unquestionably kick his ass after that. Is there any unspoken rule that one may get executed if they hurt the royal family and cause entanglements?

Speaking of the devil…

Where’s Gladio anyway? 

Thankfully, none of the guards or Kingsglaive Prompto encounters question him. They are slipping him obvious and curious glances from the corner of their eyes. It seems like they’re struggling not to step ahead and investigate the newest member of the Crownsgaurd.

He spots Ignis when he returns from his training. Unlike the previous day, his hair is slicked up, and he’s dressed in the most elegant clothing ever; a purple and black patterned button-up shirt and trousers. Prompto suddenly feels so small as if everything he’s done is pointless. Here he stands in front of Ignis Scientia, the commander of Crownsgaurd, wearing the simplest crinkled dress.

Prompto doesn’t know how someone can still be this perfect even after training hard and sweating for hours. However, Ignis has shown him anything can be possible. Before the advisor, he believed amazing and flawless people don’t exist. To him, Ignis is simply perfection. Prompto wants to be just like him, and yet, he fails miserably every time. 

Iggy is one of a kind, isn’t he?

“Hello, Prompto.”

He jerks his head toward Ignis’s direction as his thoughts are interrupted. Prompto expects a yell, ignorance in the best situation. Ignis doesn’t even look irritated by him.

Now he realizes how none of them deserve someone like Iggy.

“I messed up,” Prompto starts instead. He bites his tongue to prevent himself from blurting anything else -- from screwing up once again. He has an overwhelming urge to run away from this place and cry until all of this is over. But then again, Prompto knows he’s gotten Ignis in his mess, and he can’t give up until he’s fixed everything.

Warm hands settling on both of his shoulders, Prompto bows his head to avoid eye-contact. He can’t look Ignis in the eyes anymore. He shouldn’t be forgiven at any chance. 

It feels like Ignis wants to kiss him, judging by how he steps closer to Prompto and inhales sharply. 

Prompto shakes his head. He lets himself get distracted from the unattainable thoughts. How can Ignis even want him back after what he’s done? How can--

“No, Prompto. Please don’t blame yourself. We both weren’t aware of the paparazzi stalking us,” Ignis replies instead, settling one tender hand upon the blond’s hand.

He looks up. “It’s just... dude, I’m not even important. I’m not a part of royalty, and I’m still not a real Crownsgaurd. I don’t get why they’re dying to know who I’m dating.”

Technically, Prompto is still considered important. Nevertheless, he still feels like a commoner -- like someone who doesn’t deserve all the attention and care he receives. The day the Marshal adopted him, his life did a 180. Not that he doesn’t enjoy being recognized as one of the best warriors’ son, but it’s still remarkably overwhelming. It appears like the press is still fond of considering Prompto a commoner, though.

Aren’t they afraid of Cor Leonis? Or the King himself?

Oh, right. They aren’t aware that Prompto and Ignis aren’t actually together. He’s forgotten that he’s supposed to be the advisor’s pretend boyfriend.

“Hmm, you are correct; the fact that they love to know about our private lives is quite distressing. However, you are considered one of our dearest friends with brilliant abilities. I can’t allow you to say such things and underestimate yourself,” Ignis says. Prompto shivers.  _ Gods, he’s so sweet. I don’t deserve him. _ “We should’ve been way more careful. Removing the rumors from newspapers and the media would be a challenging task, let alone silencing the citizens who are maintaining to spread false information.”

“Yeah, but I’m one to blame here! If I hadn’t called or asked you to be my fake boyfriend for a day, none of these would’ve happened in the first place. Now the world is questioning us – including King Regis! I don’t know if there’s a platform where ‘CommonerDatingCrownAdvisor’ Isn’t trending.”

“A commoner?” Ignis asks, his frown deepening. “That’s a shame. They are depreciating you, Prompto. You are a talented and a fantastic person to me, also an excellent fighter. They’ve unmistakably not seen your training as a member of the Crownsgaurd.”

A familiar heat stains his cheeks. “Dude, you’re flattering me.” He draws in a sharp breath and continues, “But have you seen the picture they took from us? It’s like we’re actually dating! Crazy, huh? And super embarrassing.”

“That’s how they have convinced Eos that we are lovers. Not that I don’t like the idea of being with you, but supposing that we don’t silence the media, it might become...  _ awkward  _ for us. Especially if you have any other partner or are uncomfortable with people considering us, erm, a ‘couple.’ ”

Prompto’s eyes widen.His jaw almost touches the floor. __

_ Not that I don’t like the idea of being with you, _ Ignis’s voice echoes in his mind, but Prompto still wants to think he’s just hearing things. Possibly a side effect of anxiety. Surely there’s no way Ignis really told him that…?

“Wait, what did you say?” Prompto mumbles.

Ignis looks away, body tensing as a low hum escapes from his throat. “Hm?”

“You – I swear I heard you say something about you don’t mind me... ugh, this is so awkward.”

“Ah. What I meant is that... being with you would certainly be an honor. I believe I crossed the line. I apologize, Prompto. The situation has been quite stressful for me.”

“Yeah, man. I understand. No need to apologize. Uh.” Prompto cuts himself off. He’s lucky that Iggy’s a sweetheart -- an absolute angel who still forgives him after the shit he’s done. Still, he doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable. He’s willing to do anything he can to prevent that. “I can tell Aranea that we broke up or somethin’. I mean, after the mess we made, we totally don’t want to make it worse, right? They stalked us in a coffee shop. They can probably catch us together again.”

“No, actually, I don’t think I will have a problem with helping you. What kind of friend would I be if I can’t do something helpful for you?”

“Wait, are you kidding me?!” Prompto squeals, clasping a hand over his mouth. He can hear his heart pounding in his ears, all the blood in his body surging there. Prompto feels like the world has teamed up against him to make a compilation of him blushing. He can’t believe anything he hears anymore. “I messed everything up, Iggy. You can lose your reputation just because of me! And now ya want to play this stupid game just for my sake? I can’t let ya do that!”

“Hey, Prompto. I want to do this for you. Nobody is forcing me, and I merely want to keep you happy. Besides, we are already the center of the news, so what could possibly go wrong?”

“Uh-huh. We’re currently ‘couple goals’ in the media, even though we’re just friends. People are calling us ‘the cutest relationship of the year!’ I want to laugh, but I also wanna cry ‘cause I’ve never thought people would call you and me adorable together!”

“Perhaps we really do look adorable together.” Ignis chuckles. They do look cute together, but Ignis saying that while they’re not boyfriends is like torture to Prompto. “No wonder Gladiolus has been wondering if something is going on between us.”

“Wait, what? Gladio said that?”

Ignis inclines his head. “Shockingly, yes. I didn’t let you know just because my intentions aren’t to make you uncomfortable. The news is overwhelming to you and me both. We all deserve to have privacy and dating without having to worry about being photographed. Hopefully, we will be able to have it under control in a few days.”

“Yeah, hopefully. I’m still ready for the King and Gladio to kick my ass, though.”

“Oh, are we talking about King Regis? I know Gladio sometimes reacts like a nagging child, but His Majesty is very open-minded and generous. He will be able to help us if we explain the entire situation.”

“I mean…” Prompto lets out a burst of awkward laughter, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “Thanks, Iggy, for understanding. For everything. You helped me calm down today.”

Ignis flashes a gentle and wry smile. “Of course, please don’t mention it. Nothing could go wrong. We will patiently explain that the information is wrong and everything would go perfectly planned.”

“All thanks to you!” he says, his voice echoing through the hallway as silence overcomes it. Prompto’s phone starts buzzing in his pocket, followed by his deafening ringtone that has Ignis chuckling. “Oh, it’s my... shit! The news! I completely forgot it! Hey, ‘Nea,” he gushes, accepting the call without thinking.

Aranea instantly starts laughing. “Oho, shortcake. When you were showing pics of that kid, I hadn’t thought you’re actually dating him,” she teases. “You struck gold, kiddo. Good job. I see you got yourself famous.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?” Prompto smirks. He shoots the advisor a look and decreases his volume so that he can’t hear her. Aranea always speaks loudly through the phone. It’s embarrassing.

“Yep. You had me convinced that you randomly picked a guy from a bar. It’s good to see you’re finally using your brain.”

“Rude! You guys should trust me sometimes, you know. My taste in men is spectacular.”

Maybe Prompto tries to mimic Ignis’s accent. He understands that he sucks at it. He should never try to use a word that’s too big for him anymore. They only sound delicious coming from Iggy’s mouth.

“Sure it is.” A pause. “Can’t wait to see him at the weekend. We’re gonna have a friendly chat.”

Sharing a glance with Ignis and watching him laugh, Prompto immediately regrets speaking with his sister in this situation. He’s unquestionably heard it.

A groan of desperation slips from Prompto’s lips. He wishes the ground could open up and swallow him whole.

“I have to go, ‘Nea. See ya later!”

She smirks. “See you soon, shortcake,” answers Aranea with no other objections as she hangs up the phone herself. 

Jamming his hands in his pocket, Prompto looks up at the other man. “Phew! It was my sister. She said that she wants to see you! But you know you don’t have to, right?”

“Yes, I know. But it appears to them that we’ve gotten together recently. We have to either state that the news is not real or have a ‘false’ break-up sometime later.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Prompto replies, heaving a sigh. “For now, we pretend.”

\---

“Next time, maybe tell me if you’re banging the people who work for me.”

Prompto has never regretted putting someone on speakerphone before.

He immediately picks his phone and silently screams, hoping that Cor and Aranea didn’t hear the Prince spreading such rumors shamelessly.

“Dude.” Prompto groans. “Why you gotta embarrass me like that?! Don’t you see my heart is already at my throat?!”

“I guess realizing that two of your friends are dating each other via trending hashtags would be a bit shocking to you, don’t you think?” says Noctis. “I’m happy for you, though. You two look like you were made for each other. And specs couldn’t literally stop staring at you every day in the training grounds.”

_ What?  _ Noctis has to be kidding… right? He’s gotta be pranking Prompto or something because no way in the world Ignis has done that before.

“What?” Prom mutters. “Iggy did what?”

“Staring at you on the training grounds?” He can imagine Noctis rolling his eyes on the other side and wearing a deadpan expression. “Dude, the whole Citadel knew that he liked you – well, almost. A few of the workers lost some bets ’cause they thought you two don’t like each other.”

A flush creeps up his face. Prompto lowers himself on the edge of his bed and hides his face. “Oh my gods.” He cries. “He liked me?”

“Dude, you’re saying this stuff as if you two aren’t together now. What’s up with that weird behavior?”

“Oh, um, nothing! I was just surprised because y’ know, Iggy didn’t tell me the whole story,” Prompto lies. “But thanks! I don’t think there’s a person left in the world who doesn’t know the news yet, ha!”

“You two quickly became the most important couple of the year. Anyway, I heard Specs is gonna meet your family tonight? I bet you’re nervous. Your dar is Cor the Immortal, after all. He watched Ignis grow, and now he’s dating his only son.”

“Dude, you’re not helping me calm down! Ahhh, what am I gonna do now?! Will everything go well? What if my Dad says something to upset Iggy?!”

“Prom, stop overthinking,” Noctis says with a laugh. “Everything will be fine.”

He scoffs. “Easy for you to say.” He rises to his feet and gives his outfit the last glance. It’s something normal, nothing too formal or fantastic like the ones Ignis is presumably going to wear. Yet, it makes Prompto feel good and comfortable in his own house. 

Right as he’s about to continue, there’s a hard knock on his door, and Prompto stirs. 

“I can’t believe I’m the last person to find out my son is dating that boy in the news,” Cor growls. “And now he’s coming over for some reason. When were you going to give me the news, kid? The day he proposed to you?”

“Oh no, I gotta go, Noct. My Dad’s mad at me.” Hanging up before he can let his friend speak, he rushes to his door, opening the door and meeting Cor’s intimidating scowl. “I wanted to tell you, I swear! We just started dating last week! And I had to wait a bit to know if it’ll work out or not. Can you not embarrass him or me when he’s over, Dad?”

Cor crosses his arms against his chest. “He’s bold to date someone like you.”

“More like I’m bold to date someone like him.”

“You’re my son. I’m Cor Leonis, you forget that? He’s signed his own death warrant by not asking for my permission.”

“Daaad!” Prompto giggles, opening his mouth to speak. The door phone interrupts him, causing him to shiver with panic. “He’s here! Everyone be quiet and smile!” A couple of minutes later, Ignis approaches their door with a chocolate box in his grasp. He wears the kindest smile, and they share a glance. “Hey, Iggy.”

Ignis nods. A warm smile dances on his lips, and he settles his gaze on the other members. “Hello, Prompto. Lovely to meet you, sir and ma’am.”

“Hey, Ignis. Call me Aranea. Ma’am makes me feel like I’m an old lady who’s sitting on her deathbed.” Aranea teases.

“Of course, Ms. Aranea,” Ignis replies. His attention shifts to Cor. “It’s very nice to finally meet you in person. May I enter?”

“You may,” Cor answers politely and guides Ignis ahead. Prompto can see that he’s struggling hard not to question the advisor right on the spot. If he weren’t this stressed and anxious, he would’ve laughed at his Dad’s effort not to be mean. 

They don’t ‘talk’ until the dinner’s ready. Cor plainly ignored the advisor because they all know that he’ll say things that’ll most likely upset others once he starts his complaints. Prompto helps his Dad with the dinner, assisting him as he moves the plates to the dining table. Meanwhile, Prompto catches Ignis giving him a few sneaky glances.

Ignis sits at the dining table next to him. Prompto lifts his hand to grab the fork. Ignis does the same, and their fingers brush against each other for a second. Both freeze, utterly speechless, until Prompto becomes as red as a tomato and removes his hand. 

Cor clears his throat. He starts, “So, Ignis, I’m still wondering why I should be the last person to know that you two are dating. Am I really not that important to you? Or did you think that Prompto’s Dad shouldn’t know that you’re in a relationship with his son?”

“No, sir. Of course not. As you are aware, we started dating just recently. We wanted to inform you, but I thought it would be fantastic to give the good news while we’re enjoying a dinner night together,” Ignis begins.

“Good news, huh?” His Dad smirks. “How did you two even get together?”

“Um—” Prompto starts at the same time Ignis speaks:

“Well—” He cuts himself off and bobs his head. Prompto takes that as his cue to swiftly make up a proper story. “It’s alright. Please, continue.”

“Uh-huh. So you know, I’ve been starting to like Ignis a lot recently. I always thought it’s just a simple crush that would go away after a week, but I just fell in love with him more and more as the day passed by. I think I dropped some hints, ‘cause after my training last week, he just appeared in front of me with a bunch of flowers and asked me out! He’s so kind and romantic. I love him so much!”

He’s proud of himself for telling the whole fake story without stuttering. Ignis’s warm expression and gorgeous sea glass eyes do help him keep going, after all.

“Yes, exactly. Prompto is very dear to me -- He is the most important person in my life. He deserves all the affection and care in the world, and I’m willing to give him whatever he requires,” Ignis says.

Prompto lets his eyes drift over the table. He stares at nothing, and then lets a sigh of grief and desperation. The person who’s going to be Ignis’s lover will be the luckiest person in this world and then some, won’t they? Prompto would die, or even travel to hell and back to experience  _ that _ . Not just a fake thing that’s always leaving him wondering if what Iggy’s said is true or not.

But he soon remembers the deal. It’s supposed to be for only a day. Their whole relationship is fake, and they’ll announce the ‘break-up’ a few days later.

Everything will go back to normal for everyone except Prompto. He’ll never manage to forget the memories of Ignis saying things like that. He’ll never be the same again.

Gods, Iggy’s such a sweetheart -- he’s darling. Prompto wishes his feelings weren’t one sided.

“Awww, you’re so adorable!” he coos instead.

“Good, good. That’s how Prompto should be treated.” Cor releases his spoon, leaning closer with an elbow settled on the table. “I’m gonna tell you simple and cliché stuff, but I’m a man of my words. You better not hurt him. You better not break his heart. If you’re in it for a fling, you’re in big trouble and should leave as soon as you can.”

“No, sir, I—” Ignis gulps, and they exchange a nervous glance. “I love Prompto. I will never hurt him in any way.”

_ I love you too, _ Prompto thinks.  _ But mine is real. I swear it is. _

“As you shouldn’t. But you two are adorable together. If anything, seeing my son happy makes me happy too. I’m glad that he found someone he loves.”

Ignis smiles. “Thank you, sir.”

He adds, “Aww, thanks, Dad! You’re so nice!”

The rest of the night goes way better than Prompto had expected. His Dad doesn’t bring up that subject, and Ignis soon gets used to the feeling of being his ‘boyfriend.’ Aranea teases him for it, but they seem to get along pretty well. If it were real, Prompto couldn’t thank the gods enough for giving him the most wanted and amazing life ever.

Ignis announces that he has to leave two hours later. It’s getting late, and he has to visit the Citadel early in the morning. Prompto understands that. As much as he loves to have Iggy around, Prompto would never want to hurt him. 

“Did you enjoy your stay, Ignis?” Cor asks as Ignis steps toward the front door and wears his jacket.

“Yes, sir. Thank you for having me. I’m looking forward to meeting you once again,” Ignis reassures, settling his gaze on Prompto with a tender smile. “And thank you for suggesting having dinner together, Prompto.”

“Of course, dude!” He laughs.

Aranea nudges him on the arm, smirking teasingly. “Hey, kiddo. Aren’t you two together or something? Then why don’t you act like a couple? Not even a hug?”

Ignis, gods may bless his soul, starts before Prompto could think of something acceptable, “Yes, since today was the first day we met and had an official conversation, we thought it would be best if we respect the boundaries.”

“It’s okay. It’s just us, remember? You two are adorable, so just make it grossly cuter,” she responds. Nodding with a smile, Ignis leans closer. Prompto does a double-take, but he doesn’t dare to move as Ignis puts the most loving kiss upon his forehead. All the blood in his body rushes to his ears, feeling his heart thudding hard. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

“See you tomorrow, darling.”

Prompto’s heart outright melts. He wants to cry with happiness, but he remembers that all of these are supposed to be fake. Everything in the world is trying to make him scream.

He just wants to let it all out, but he can’t.

Prompto swallows the lump that’s forming in his throat. “S-see you, Iggy…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aranea just wants them to kiss. Isn't she basically all of us?  
> Thank you for your support, everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

Prompto is a generous person; at least he thinks so. Sometimes, even he may feel lonely, being left with no choice but to do what he always wanted to avoid. He’s overwhelmed with the happenings that have occurred in the past days. They are too powerful for anyone to handle. Ignis is certainly struggling as well. He’s trying to fix it, Prompto can tell. But in the end, he’s merely a human just like him. He can’t fix everything despite convincing everyone that he can, and Prompto loves him for that.

It seems like three AM when Prompto’s fingers slide down his phone and call the advisor on their own. All he can think of in this moment is how much he misses Ignis; his soft and warm lips feeling like fire upon his skin, his wonderful and intoxicating smell, his… well,  _ everything _ . Prompto can write a lengthy list of the things that make Ignis the fantastic man he is.

The rings through the phone are muffled by Prompto’s heartbeats. He coaxes himself on the bed, leaning against the headboard as he grasps that something is wrong. It takes Ignis way more than two or three rings to answer. That’s when Prompto has to gulp back his nervousness. He looks over the hint of the clock on the wall, the dim light making it hard for him to see anything. It is unmistakably past three, much to his surprise and disappointment. 

Before he can even panic and hang up, he hears something through the phone. A very sluggish and exhausted Ignis greets him. Prompto grins. He loves it when Iggy lets his guards down.

“Hey, you okay?” he starts, fumbling with the hem of his shirt.

Ignis chuckles. There’s a sound of fabric brushing against each other as he answers, “Yes, Prompto, thank you. How about you?”

“I’ve been thinking about tonight,” Prompto admits. He clears his throat, shying away from telling Ignis that he’s been thinking a lot about  _ him  _ lately. “You did some things you really didn’t have to. You’re being so nice to me, Iggy. I dunno how to repay all that.”

“You don’t have to. Believe me when I say seeing you smile genuinely makes me happy.” 

He is well aware that Ignis can’t see him through the phone, but he hides his cheeks that have swiftly turned pink. It’s unfair how Ignis says those things, although he presumably doesn’t mean them. How can he? Their whole relationship is fake. Prompto doesn't know what is real and what is not anymore.

“Um, really?” he whispers.

“Yes, really. More than anything.”

Prompto stretched, letting himself lounge on the soft mattress. “Is that something you say to all your friends, Iggy?” Prompto teases fondly.

“Not quite. That is something I tell the friends I adore the most. You are different, Prompto, I always do wish to be there to keep you safe and content at all costs.”

“You’re gonna make me cry,” he declares, and he means it. The flutters in the pit of his stomach that only appear when Ignis is talking have returned. Prompto isn’t sure what’s happening to him, but he does know that it’s Ignis’s voice that’s doing all this torturous stuff. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”

“That’s a good thing, I suppose?” Ignis laughs.

“An amazing thing. All thanks to you. Y’know, you’re a lifesaver. You are always there for me when I need you the most, and that’s everything I could ask for,” Prompto replies. “I want to protect you too. But you don’t need protection, Iggy. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known, but I’m trying to be good for you. I want to be good enough.”

“Prompto,” calls Ignis, followed by a protracted sigh. “You are good enough for me, regardless of how much you fight or train. No, you are  _ spectacular _ . You are strong, darling. I require you to protect me as well. There are many brilliant abilities that you have that I do not.”

“Never leave me, ‘kay?” Prompto asks instead.

“I will never leave you, cross my heart.”

“And hope to die.” Completing with a giggle, he draws the covers over himself and imagines Ignis sitting next to him, whispering the sweetest things into his ear. “You’re the best. Like, the  _ only  _ best. I’ve known you since forever. I can’t imagine a life without you.”

“Hopefully, we will never ought to carry on without one another.” There’s a pause. “Sleep well, Prompto. Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams, boyfriend,” Prompto teases, emphasizing on the word ‘boyfriend.’

“Sweet dreams, darling.”

And that how Ignis Scientia startles Prompto utterly awake to the point that he can’t sleep anymore due to overthinking about what that ‘darling’ meant.

\---

“Details, Prom. Details!” Noctis nearly screeches, nudging his shoulder to stir him out of his thoughts.

“What type of details you want, buddy? I already told you everything! And it’s really not a big deal! It’s just two normal guys dating each other and all!”

“Wrong. It’s Ignis Scientia who we’re talking about, and you! My cold-hearted childhood friend is dating my best friend and I seriously had no idea.”

“Don’t call him cold-hearted,” Prompto mumbles under his breath. “He’s not like that.”

“Whatever.” Noctis rolls his eyes teasingly. “Who confessed first? Who asked for the first date?!”

Oh, Prompto is more than glad to answer  _ that _ . He’s already prepared a perfect story.

“Iggy did! A big surprise, huh? I was just returning from my training and he acted like a total sweetheart and asked me out! The person you think is ‘cold-hearted’ is actually way more romantic than big guy!”

Before Noctis can open his mouth to speak, someone settles their hand upon Prompto’s shoulder. He jerks up with a yelp, clasping a hand over his mouth, stopping himself from making any other spontaneous noises. When he turns, his gaze meets Gladio’s amber eyes glaring at him.

“Sorry for barging in on your conversation, but I gotta tell you something really important,” Gladio starts and draws in a sharp breath only to announce, “Iggy’s been missing.”

Prompto blinks. “Iggy’s been  _ what _ ?”

The Prince’s frown deepens. “Specs? That’s weird. He never does these things.”

“He’s missing,” Gladio confirms as he lifts his shoulders into a half-shrug. That urges Prompto’s heart to drum anxiously, fear splintering it. “No signs of him here. He’s not answering any of my messages or calls, and nobody’s seen him in hours. Maybe he’ll respond to you, blondie. You’re his boyfriend, after all. If he cares the most about someone, it’s ya.”

“Me?” Prompto blurts, and then the realization hits him like a train. He’s Ignis’s fake boyfriend. He’s the last person Ignis would trust. That’s one of the most painful truths ever. Instead, he says, “Yeah. I’m on! I’ll go try to find him now and figure what’s happening.”

“Prom, please let us know if you got any news,” Noct adds.

“Will do!” He hurriedly makes his way out of the Citadel, calling the advisor repeatedly, not even receiving a single response from him. Prompto makes several phone calls when he heads to his apartment. None of them are answered, and it makes Prompto sicker. “Come on, Iggy. Where are you?”

He’s knocking on his apartment door when he notices an unread message. Opening it instantly, Prompto reads through the text and frowns.

_ Iggy: Hello, Prompto. If you see this message, I just wanted to let you know that I haven’t been feeling good today and require rest. Please don’t worry about me and know that I will try to get better soon. I need to rest, so I decided to be alone for a short while. _

He raises his hand to reply. The sound of the door snapping open makes Prompto’s head jerk up. He enters his house, shoving his phone inside his pocket, forgetting about the message.

“Hey dad,” greets Prompto. He tries to appear more energetic and joyful as usual. Yet, he only ends up deepening his frown and pulling a face.

“Hey, kiddo. What’s wrong? Did that boy do something to you? Did he say something?”

“No, it’s just...” Prompto gulps, and he gestures to the sofa with his thumb. “Can we sit down and talk? It’s nothing so serious. I just felt like I needed someone to talk with. It’s just lonely, I guess.”

“Of course, kid. Sit down.” Cor urges him to settle down on the couch and disappears into the kitchen. Returning five minutes later, Cor settles two cups of tea upon the coffee table. He crosses his legs. “What’s up? How’s it going with that boy?”

His shoulders slump. “I’m not gonna lie. It’s a bit scary, and I just don’t know what to do anymore. Sometimes I have a feeling we’re getting this famous because someone like Ignis Scientia is dating someone like me – a commoner who’s adopted by Mr. Leonis. It’s just...” Hesitating to resume, Prompto hoists his hand to scratch his nose. “He’s Ignis; the smart, handsome, perfect, and talented Ignis who  _ everyone  _ loves. And here’s me. I can’t do anything but to toss some jokes around and fire guns.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, kiddo. It’s not like you know what’s going on in his mind, do you?” Cor says. “We all feel insecure sometimes. But he chose you of all people, because he loves you. He cares about you way more than anyone else. There are billions of people out there, and that kid just wanted you. Who knows? Maybe he’s thinking the same about himself and you don’t know.”

“Want me?” Prompto releases a bitter laugh. “Yeah. It’s a bit strange. How do I ever know he wants me?”

“Well, does he act differently around you?”

He gulps. Yeah. “Well – yeah, he does.”

“Alright. Does he make you feel good about who you are?”

“He does. I feel safe and loved whenever I’m with him. He always helps me, dad. His intentions are good. Iggy’s the kindest person I’ve ever known.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Cor cracks a wry smile. “There are some other things, too. Is the way he looks at you different? Does he treat you like a priority? And most importantly, is your happiness as important to him as his own?”

He’s half-convinced that his dad has spent hours memorizing an article about love before Prompto comes over. Not that he’s complaining, but it just feels weird hearing those words from the Marshal.

Prompto realizes that all his answers are strangely yes. At the same time, he’s sure that Ignis won’t even consider being with him. They may have to rewrite their blog, after all.

“Yep, dad. All of them are true. He cares about me more than others,” mutters Prompto.

“He loves you, kid,” Cor confirms, much to his surprise.  _ No, no. Don’t get your hopes up, Prompto. Maybe Iggy’s acting that way because he pities you. _ “And I’m happy that my son found someone who loves him more than anyone else. He respects you. You should be glad that you two found each other.”

“He loves me.” He likes how these words sound coming from his lips. “Thank you for being here, dad.”

“No problem, kiddo,” Cor says, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder, gesturing to his bedroom with a gentle smile. “Go get some rest. You’re probably tired by now.”

Prompto nods. “Yeah.” 

He rushes to his room and locks the door behind him. Collapsing on the tidy bed, Prompto grasps his phone and scrolls down. He has a feeling that he’s forgotten something, but he can’t even recall a single detail at all. Therefore, he explores the internet and his social media with the lack of anything else to do until he feels himself drifting off.

It seems like Cor has dropped something outside his bedroom when Prompto startles awake from his fast-sleep. His phone is still open and dropped onto his nose (much thanks to picking ‘never’ for the screen timeout), the hot room and the blanket all over his body, making him sweat. 

Prompto squints at the sudden bright screen as he grips his phone and flips it over. It has become a routine for him to go through social media and check if he has any unread messages. He notices something off. It seems like everyone he’s following is talking about a particular video of Ignis, and he can’t help but panic. What if he’s done something wrong? What if they’d caught them--

He plays the first video he sees. Ignis Scientia appears on the scene, appearing to be hurrying away from the paparazzi and reporters surrounding him. Prompto’s heart aches. Two apparent bags have become visible under Ignis’s puffy eyes, and he looks unbelievably… exhausted. As if he’s gone weeks without sleep.

“Hello, Mr. Scientia! Do you mind if we take your time for five minutes?” a reporter asks.

Ignis stops. “Certainly not. What is the matter?” He plasters a warm smile on his face and turns to face her politely.

Gods, Prompto loves this man a bit too much.

“We had some questions regarding the trending news about you and Mr. Leonis,” she says. “We wanted to ask if you confirm that you are in the relationship and the information isn’t made up.”

“Of course. Yes, I do confirm that Mr. Leonis and I have started dating for two weeks, and I am happy to announce that our relationship is proceeding perfectly.”

“Thank you for answering our question, Mr Scientia. If you don’t mind, we have another too. Inasmuch as we would rarely receive any news referring to your relationship before, the majority of the population are wondering how you met and if you are planning to continue to date each other.”

“Absolutely. We are both happy to respond to any unanswered questions with regard to that subject--”

His phone ring cuts in, muting the video. Prompto groans. It’s Gladio. As much as he has no energy to talk to someone at the moment, he has no choice but to answer the call in case anything emergency has happened.

“Hey, Gladio!” Prompto greets with the most cheerful tone he manages.

“Hi, Prom. Did you manage to call Iggy? I haven’t received anything yet.”

Oh,  _ oh.  _ So that’s what Prompto’s forgotten to do, text one of the most important people in his  _ life  _ back. His mouth goes dry with fear, and he has to lick his lips and take a few deep breaths to calm his heart down. For the love of the gods. Is there anything he hasn’t messed up yet? He might as well just bury himself in the ground and let it swallow him whole.

Scratching the back of his neck, the video now thoroughly neglected, he awkwardly responds, “Oh, yeah. Shit. I forgot to tell you. Iggy had actually messaged me a couple of hours ago and said that he’s kinda sick? So he’s resting in his apartment now. He mentioned that he wants to have a day alone to get better.”

“Iggy?” Gladio’s tone has an edge of vacillation and trepidation. “That’s weird. He was fine last night, and we were supposed to train today. He never leaves unless somethin’ bad has happened.”

“He seemed fine in his text? Oh, stupid me! Nobody can understand if a person’s fine through messages! I should’ve answered him.”

“What? You didn’t respond? Are you crazy, kid? He’s your boyfriend. He needs you now more than anything else.”

“I’m so stupid,” Prompto agrees, smacking a palm over his forehead. “I thought he’s asleep so I didn’t want to disturb him, ‘cause y’know, he never silences his phone!”

“Yeah, you were acting real stupid. But he doesn’t answer us, which is strange ‘cause he’s Iggy. He’ll respond to you, though. I’m sure of it.”

“I promise I won’t leave him alone. I won’t,” reassures Prompto.

“He needs you, Prom. You better not let us down.”

These are Gladio’s last words before he hangs up. They run circles in Prompto’s mind, eating him up.  _ He needs you. He will answer you. He’s your boyfriend.  _ Prompto can’t be freaking out more. 

Prompto opens his message app with trembling hands. He writes:

_ Prompto: hey Iggy!! Sorry I didn’t reply sooner! I wanted u 2 rest :) Where r u now? _

He swings his legs nervously, confident that Ignis won’t respond and will merely avoid him like anyone else. Prompto isn’t anyone special, after all. Just an ordinary person who happens to be his fake date, that’s all. Why do people assume Ignis needs Prompto by any chance?

However, deep down, Prompto kind of wishes that those facts are real. He can’t help it, really, he genuinely loves Ignis. All he ever wants is his feelings to be mutual. So of course, he waits for a message that may never be delivered.

“C’mon, Iggy. Please,” Prompto begs to no one.

A notification sound takes him by surprise.

_ Iggy: I just woke a couple of minutes ago. I apologize for the lack of response. Gladio had called me several times. _

_ Iggy: I’m currently at my apartment, but please don’t worry about me. I will be fine. _

_ Prompto: not helping me calm down dude _

_ Prompto: what happened 2 u? _ 😟 _ you’re making me freak out iggy you never act like thi s _

_ Iggy: Oh, I’m sorry for making you feel stressed. I’m doing quite fine, Prompto. It would be best if you didn’t fret over anything. _

_ Prompto: not telling me what’s happening is not making me not fret over anything... can u plz tell me what’s happening 2 u so I can calm down? pretty p lease?? _

_ Iggy: I fell down the stairs. _

_ Prompto: WHAT _

_ Iggy: See? I told you I’m alright. I believe I’m making you quite distressed, aren’t I? _

_ Prompto: I’ll be there in a jiffy!!!!! _

_ Prompto: FOR GODS’ SAKE IGGY DON’T MOVE _

_ Prompto: do that 4 me? pretty please? _

He’s never been this fast to dress up. He wears the first things that are in his way, grabbing his phone and racing outside. Today has been a rough day. Prompto’s been running around a lot. But he’s made a promise; he would travel to hell and back for Ignis. This isn’t even anything near that.

“Dad! ‘Nea! I’m going out. I probably won’t come back tonight! Don’t worry about me if I didn’t answer my phone!” Prompto announces as he clutches his shoes.

“Wait a minute, kid. Where’s the hurry?” Cor asks. “Where’re you going and why?”

Aranea adds, “Cor’s right, shortcake. You can’t just tell us you’re leaving and not give any details. We’re listening.”

When he finishes wearing his shoes, he gulps thickly and turns. “Okay, okay! I’m staying over at Iggy’s apartment. He’s sick and nobody’s there to take care of him.” Prompto turns the door handle.

“Oh.” Cor heaves a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to be the bad person and say no, but you have to let me know whenever anything happens. And don’t forget to let us know once you’ve arrived.”

“Sure! See you guys soon.”

“Take care, kiddo.” Aranea smirks. “And have fun.”

“Huh.” Prompto laughs awkwardly. He hopes Aranea isn’t thinking about what he’s thinking. That would be, well… quite embarrassing. He wouldn’t be able to convince his sister, and she will forever tease him for it. But he works up the nerves to blurt a, “I will.” Before flying down the stairs.

He hopes Ignis is fine. He hopes he will be enough for Ignis regardless of everything he’s done, even though he’s traveled way less than to hell and back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... Prompto does run around a lot in this fic.   
> I'm convinced Cor would totally visit sites and read that stuff just for his son, lol. He wouldn't want to sound unprofessional so he memorizes the whole article and advises Prompto quite proudly. Poor man XD  
> I apologize if this chapter is shorter than the other ones!

**Author's Note:**

> Find me here on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Alinaa_SF)!  
> 


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